The mournful and soul-penetrating rhythms of the organ filled the high-ceilinged room, piercing the air, commanding the attention of every person, every piece of furniture and every artifact. The young man sitting in front of…
Category: Music
Hip hop reaches crowning heights at Sotheby’s sale
Posted in collectibles, Culture, and Music
On first glance, it would appear to be a simple gold crown, like the plastic headgear worn by many little boys playing king in an elementary school play. This one was bigger, with a few…
Vogue picture records lead to ‘ace jazzman’ Charlie Shavers
Posted in Black history, history, and Music
When I first saw the phonograph records, I was drawn to the illustrations. All were brightly colored and painted into the surface – unlike the black vinyl I was used to seeing with a circular…
1920s photo posters of Armstrong, Smith & other jazz greats
Posted in Black history, Music, and Photos
A black and white photo of a man with his fingers on the keys of a grand piano lay atop a stack on a table filled with papers at the auction house. His skin was…
I heard the soft melodious sound as soon I entered the auction house that morning. Someone was playing a piano, and that was unusual. I followed the music, wondering who among the staff or auction-goers…
Black history through the comedic eyes of Amanda Seales
Posted in Black history, Music, and Performers
I’d never heard of Amanda Seales, but I was open to seeing her live game show called “Smart Funny & Black” at a theater in Philadelphia when a friend suggested it. The friend later sent me…
A collection of Lefton porcelain angels
Posted in collectibles, Figurines, and Music
The porcelain angels and other figurines in the box at auction were actually quite cute. There were so many of them that someone was obviously giving up a collection – or the pieces were being…
Song does not intertwine Paul Robeson & Kate Smith
Posted in Black history, history, and Music
When I began reading the stories about the removal of Kate Smith’s “God Bless America” recording from the games of two sports teams, one name stood out for me. Paul Robeson. I’m very familiar with…
This is what a Beatles obsession looks like on paper
Posted in Books, collectibles, and Music
I knew before I walked into the auction house that tons of books would be up for sale. But as I got closer to the books, imagine my surprise when I saw that they were all…
A few years ago, I was at a jazz event at the Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia when an older man with gray hair and gray beard got up to speak. Most people in the room…